Newsletter - December 2023

AUK Facilitating Enrollment of Graduates of Institutes

AUK signed articulation agreements with three local institutes to facilitate the transition of their graduates to AUK, thereby allowing them to attain bachelor’s degrees while acknowledging previous learning. Such agreements also outline coursework completed at the institute for which students will get equivalency credits and graduate from AUK on an expedited pathway. With the two Institutes RAND and Ararat, AUK agreed to wave credit hours of their Computer Science Program graduates; while from Dasinya Institute of Fine Arts, graduates of the Design Program will benefit from this agreement and potentially complete their bachelor’s degree at AUK.

AUK Graduated the first Kurdish Sign Language Students

Nineteen students graduated from the “Introduction to Educational Interpreting” in Kurdish Sign Language (KuSL) course, facilitated by AUK’s Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) in coordination with IREX, the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Kurdistan Regional Government – Representation in the USA, and Tarrant County College, supported by the U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, under the U.S. Iraq Higher Education Partnerships Program.” While sign language has more than 300 distinct versions just like any other spoken language, for the first time in Kurdistan, a KuSL interpreting course was launched at AUK.

Inaugural Nursing Capping, Candle Lighting, and White Coat Ceremony at AUK

AUK’s College of Nursing hosted its first-ever Capping, Candle Lighting, and White Coat Ceremony on December 2. The event symbolized the transition from classroom education to clinical practice, embodying values of integrity, empathy, and professionalism. The spotlight shined on the 23 nursing students who are at the heart of this transformative journey, and each one, a torchbearer of change, represents the future generation of nurses. During the ceremony, reflecting Florence Nightingale’s legacy, students received their caps, nursing coats.

AUK’s Design Department Field Trips

In order to establish a connection between theoretical understanding and practical applications in the field of design education, Mr. Ahmad Afara, Design Department faculty member, organized field experiences to further the students’ workforce readiness.

Examples include visits to the following: the Zakho Bazaar to study the design of display units that are commercially appealing, functional, and practical; GEG Reklam for guidance on the profession of graphic design; Presstige Printing Press to investigate printing and graphic design production; Zinta and Akre in order to collect data for a project on designing an emergency alert system for rural Kurdistan.

Kurdistan Flag Day Celebration at AUK

On December 17, 2023, AUK’s Student Government, in coordination with the Office of Communications, organized an official flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the enduring spirit and resilience of the Kurdish people. AUK students, faculty, and staff gathered in traditional Kurdish clothes to stand by the flag poles during the Kurdistan National Anthem.

Meet AUK’s Manager of Communications

Ruqayah Saleem is the Manager of the Office of Communications at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK). She has been on the job since early 2023. During her tenure, the Office of Communications has continued its efforts to make the “AUK community” feel all the more like one. The Office of Communications has been responsible for dozens of interviews since she started at AUK, and now the microscope and the microphone are on her.